A recent airline passenger injury claim for $250,000 in damages is in jeopardy for reportedly asking for over the maximum amount of damages allowed.

A woman from New York filed the airline passenger injury claim alleging she was hurt on a jet bridge plate operated by Delta Airlines.

Plaintiff Mattie H. filed a lawsuit seeking damages in the amount of $250,000, which, Delta argues, exceeds the maximum amount allowed by the jurisdiction for an airline passenger injury claim.

While Mattie’s airline passenger injury claim does not explicitly state the exact amount of damages being sought, she allegedly confirmed the amount through her representatives. Delta, which is also facing a recent data breach class action lawsuit as well as a bag fee class action lawsuit, says that Mattie’s claimed damages are too high and barred by New York state law.

According to the airline passenger injury claim, Mattie suffered a serious fall on May 25, 2016. She alleges she fell off a jet bridge plate operated by Delta. This incident reportedly occurred in Atlanta. Mattie’s lawsuit argues that Delta was responsible for ensuring the jet bridge was safe for customers to walk on.

A jet bridge is the enclosed, movable connector that is used as a pathway from an airport terminal gate to the airplane. The jet bridge is supposed to be secure and stable enough for customers and employees to walk across. According to the lawsuit, Delta and other airlines are responsible for maintaining their quality of these gates at their respective terminals.

This was allegedly not the case for Mattie, who says she sustained serious injuries from the defective jet bridge plate. According to the airline passenger injury claim, Mattie has suffered severe and permanent injuries.

Mattie says these injuries have prevented her from returning to normal routine, and that she has been forced to miss work while incurring medical bills. Even with her airline passenger injury claim hanging in the balance, Mattie says she continues to contend with these injuries.

Overview of Personal Injury Law and Claims

Mattie is seeking damages under her state’s personal injury law, which applies to all legal disagreements that occur when one party suffers harm from an accident or injury.

While not all accidents are preventable, the ones involved in a personal injury claim are typically from circumstances that could have been avoided if the right precautions had been taken.

Mattie’s airline passenger claim alleges that Delta should have confirmed that proper maintenance and safety tests had been conducted on the jet bridge. These precautions, she says, would have lowered the chances of her fall.

Other examples of negligible accidents that could result in personal injury lawsuits include:

• Car accidents caused by distracted or drunk driving
• Store owners who fail to maintain their property, like not wiping up a wet floor
• Doctors who make careless mistakes that cause serious medical complications

It is important to note that not all personal injury claims do not make it to court, and are often resolved through mediation. Claimants can seek a variety of damages from the other party, including compensation for medical expenses, missed work, and even psychological trauma.

This Airline Passenger Injury Claim Lawsuit is Case No. 1:18-cv-01219, in the U.S. District Court of Western New York.